M Katie White

Built in 1927

Leasing the Farm
My family farm in Ohio has leased land usage rights to a hydraulic fracking company. In addition to being a place of great personal significance, the farm is also the place where my Grandma lives and has lived for most of her life –with a significant portion of my family living on the land surrounding it. My father grew up on this land and has a deep connection with it.

Fracking on small family farms is becoming increasingly common. There are many factors as to why my family, and many like it make such a drastic decision. The idea that this industry while problematic to the environment, creates jobs in America and boosts the economy. The amount of money paid to just to sign a lease is enough to get most people grabbing a pen. One of the worst problems I have seen is ignoring the harm this type of oil extracting is causing the land.

In this project I want to bring in a personal touch, which most people ignore in debates such as this. I also want to create a dialogue between me and my family in grasping an understanding of why we have such different ideas about this topic.

Cows

Dad in Spring

Start of Fall

Feeding the cows

Bails of hay

Mud pasture

Emerald Ash Bore damage

Mom

Truck bed travel

Dinner time

Food storage

Wood for Winter

Dad

Pip berries

Aunt Rhonda

Hike in the woods

Hunting path

Gravestone

Emerald Ash Bore damage #2

Talking about cows

Bailing hay

Cousins

Path marker

Dead trees

Discovery

Century Farm

Mom, Grandma, and Aunt Rhonda

Grandma

Walnuts

Planting Walnuts

Fall

Cow 16

Grandpa

Desk

Historic Homestead

Billy's Pile

All Images ©M Katie White 2016